Denis Irwin, sent off for the first time in almost 600 games in Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday night, will not be appealing the automatic suspension which puts him out of the English FA Cup final against Newcastle United at Wembley on May 22nd.
Amid speculation that United officials will meet this morning to consider the implications of Irwin's dismissal, and Alex Ferguson's forthright criticism of referee David Elleray's performance at Anfield, the Irishman said: "I am not aware of any action that the club may or may not take but I will not be making a personal appeal," he said. "Even though I feel hard done by, I don't see any point in doing so.
"Of course I'd love to see the suspension quashed but realistically there is not much chance of that happening. It's a huge blow at this stage of the season but I just have to grin and bear it."
Irwin acknowledges that the first of the two yellow cards he received was justified after mistiming a challenge on Steve McManaman but is adamant that the second card, which led to his dismissal for the first time in a marathon career with Leeds Utd, Oldham and Manchester United, was unwarranted.
"My first reaction when I got the ball was to try to carry it out of defence and catch Liverpool on the break. Unfortunately, I lost control of it for a second and it went towards the touch line.
"At that point I was running hard and for me it was touch and go whether it was over the line or not. In that situation, I would have looked foolish if I'd stopped and didn't play the ball.
"The linesman was behind me and I certainly didn't hear any whistle from the referee. So I carried on and flicked the ball to Coley (Andy Cole). I never, as was implied, kicked the ball away in dissent."
It was the culmination of a bitter sweet evening for the full back whose perfectly struck penalty had earlier hoisted United into what appeared to be a winning 2-0 lead.
"The penalty was spot on - it had to be because the goalkeeper guessed right - but at the end of the day that was no consolation at all.
"Before the game Alex Ferguson had warned us of the consequences of anybody being sent off and when I saw the referee reach into his pocket for the second both he and I knew when it meant. I felt devastated.
"I still have the European Cup final against Bayern Munich to look forward to but while that softens the blow, it doesn't make everything right. Wembley on FA Cup final day is a very special place and I was looking forward to being part of the occasion for a fourth time."
Elleray, a late choice to officiate in the Anfield game in place of the injured Paul Durkan, has built a reputation as a controversial referee who never shirks the difficult decision. His handling of earlier Manchester United games also attracted adverse comment on occasions and Roy Keane, among others, has reason to remember him as an authoritarian official who cares little for reputations.
His match report is due at FA headquarters at Lancaster Gate in London this morning but commenting on the possibility of an appeal against Irwin's sending off a spokesman said there was no mechanism in place for such an eventuality.
The implied message was that only in the event of Elleray stating that he had made a mistake would the decision be overturned.
Meanwhile, the FA is not expected to take any action against Ferguson who cited Irwin's dismissal and the penalty decision against Jesper Blomqvist as the reasons why they lost two valuable points.
